Advances in biomedical research funded by the NIH in our department require ready access to combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for routine analyses. Currently supported projects that would benefit from a new GC/MS include: 1) Studies geared toward the development of new synthetic methods for selective organic synthesis. 2) Programs involved in the synthesis of structurally complex molecules of biological interest. 3) Synthesis of new ligands for both early and late transition metal complexes and the examination of the properties and reactivity of the resulting metal-ligand adducts as applied to the selective synthesis of organic molecules. 4) Mechanistic studies of charge transfer reactions as well as the biomimetic chemistry of light harvesting and small molecule activation. 5) Synthetic studies directed toward the design and synthesis of new antimalarials, and the synthesis of ingenol, a potent activator of the cell signaling system protein kinase C. A critical need for the successful and timely development of these diverse projects is access to an instrument for obtaining GC/MS data on a user-friendly, routine basis. Our current lack of such instrumentation negatively affects the ability to carry out many of these studies. This critical capability, in the form of an instrument for everyday analysis, is urgently needed.